1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mounted to an apparatus main body, thereby forming an image on a recording medium.
In this case, the color electrophotographic image forming apparatus is a type in which a color image is formed on the recording medium by using an electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of the color electrophotographic image forming apparatus include a color electrophotographic copying machine, a color electrophotographic printer (e.g., color laser beam printer and color LED printer), a color facsimile apparatus, and a color word processor.
The recording medium is a type on which an image is formed by an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and includes, for example, paper and an OHP sheet.
A cartridge is, for example, a process cartridge or a developing cartridge, which is detachably mounted to a main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and contributes to an image forming process for forming the image on the recording medium. In this case, the process cartridge is constituted as a cartridge in which at least one of a charging means, a developing means, and a cleaning means, which serve as a process means, is formed integrally with an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and in which the thus formed cartridge is detachably mounted to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Therefore, the process cartridge includes one which is constituted as a cartridge in which the developing means serving as the process means is formed integrally with the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and in which the thus formed cartridge is detachably mounted to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Further, the process cartridge includes one which is constituted as a cartridge in which the charging means, the developing means, or the cleaning means serving as the process means are formed integrally with the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and in which the thus formed cartridge is detachably mounted to the main body. Note that, the process cartridge which includes the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the developing means formed integrally with each other is referred to as a so-called integral type. Further, the process cartridge which includes the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the process means other than the developing means formed integrally with each other is referred to as a so-called separate type.
In this case, in the process cartridge, the user himself/herself may perform mounting and detaching operation with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. Thus, the user may easily perform maintenance for the apparatus main body. Note that, the process means acts on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum.
Further, the developing cartridge includes a developing roller, contains developer (toner) which is used for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum by the developing roller, and is detachably mounted to the main body. Note that, in a case of the developing cartridge, the electrophotographic photosensitive drum is attached to the apparatus main body. Alternatively, the electrophotographic photosensitive drum is provided in the so-called separate type process cartridge (in this case, the process cartridge does not include the developing means). Note that, also, the user himself/herself may perform mounting and detaching operation of the developing cartridge with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. Thus, the user may easily perform maintenance for the apparatus main body.
Thus, the cartridge includes the so-called integral type or the so-called separate type process cartridge. Further, the cartridge includes one in which the so-called separate type process cartridge and the developing cartridge are used in a pair. Further, the cartridge includes one in which the electrophotographic photosensitive drum is attached to the apparatus main body, and in which the developing cartridge is used so as to be capable of acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and to be detachably mountable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the above-mentioned cartridge system, the user himself/herself performs an operation for mounting the cartridge to the apparatus main body, and an operation for replacing the cartridge when the cartridge outlives its usefulness. Thus, gripping portions are provided on a part of the cartridge in some cases so that the user may reliably hold the cartridge when handling the cartridge (U.S. Pat. No. 6,934,489).
According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,934,489, when mounting the cartridge to the apparatus main body, the user grips a gripping portion protruding from a frame of the cartridge, and inserts the cartridge into the apparatus along a guide portion of the apparatus main body. When detaching the cartridge from the apparatus main body, the user also grips the gripping portion to take out the cartridge to an exterior of the apparatus.
As described above, by providing the gripping portion on the cartridge, the user may easily perform mounting and detaching operation of the cartridge with respect to the apparatus main body.
On the other hand, in recent years, it has been necessary to reduce a height of the apparatus main body, or to reduce a size of the apparatus main body in a width direction in accordance with downsizing of the image forming apparatus. In accordance with this necessity, in the image forming apparatus using a plurality of cartridges, it is expected that distances between the mounted cartridges are made to be narrow, or that the cartridges are made to be thinner.
In the conventional structure, when an attempt is made to reduce the height of the apparatus main body more than that of a conventional one, it is expected that the distances between the cartridges mounted to the apparatus main body become narrow, and that distances between the gripping portions of the cartridges are also made to be narrow. Thus, even in a case of the structure as described above, it is desirable to achieve the structure for the user to easily grip.